Austrian CoronaVirus Adaptive Clinical Trial (COVID-19) (ACOVACT)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04351724 |
Recruitment Status : Unknown
Verified February 2021 by Bernd Jilma, Medical University of Vienna.
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
First Posted : April 17, 2020
Last Update Posted : March 2, 2021
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The Austrian Coronavirus Adaptive Clinical Trial (ACOVACT) is a randomized, controlled, multicenter, open-label basket trial that aims to compare various antiviral treatments for COVID-19. Moreover three substudies have been integrated. Currently, patients will be randomized to receive (hydroxy-)chloroquine (Treatment stopped after reports of safety issues), lopinavir/ritonavir, remdesivir or standard of care. Moreover, these patients are eligible for substudy A (randomized to rivaroxaban 5mg 1-0-1 vs. standard of care), substudy B (renin-angiotensin (RAS) blockade vs. no RAS blockade for patients with blood pressure >120/80mmHg), and substudy C (asunercept vs standard of care, pentglobin vs. standard of care for patients with respiratory deterioration and high inflammatory biomarkers).
Endpoints were chosen based on the master protocol published by the World Health Organisation and include a 7-point scale of clinical performance, mortality, oxygen requirement (both dose and type), duration of hospitalization, viral load and safety.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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COVID-19 | Drug: Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine Drug: Lopinavir/Ritonavir Other: Best standard of care Drug: Rivaroxaban Drug: Thromboprophylaxis Drug: Candesartan Drug: non-RAS blocking antihypertensives Drug: Remdesivir Drug: Asunercept 400mg Drug: Asunercept 100mg Drug: Asunercept 25mg Drug: Pentaglobin | Phase 2 Phase 3 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 500 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Intervention Model Description: | Three main study arms (antiviral treatments) and three substudies (A, B, C) are planned. The main study arms are exclusive, while patients from the main study arms may participate in one or more substudies. |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Multicenter, Randomized, Active Controlled, Open Label, Platform Trial on the Efficacy and Safety of Experimental Therapeutics for Patients With COVID-19 (Caused by Infection With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) |
Actual Study Start Date : | April 16, 2020 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | December 1, 2021 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | March 31, 2022 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: (Hydroxy)Chloroquine (STOPPED)
Due to limited availability of the experimental substances, this arm will include both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine treatment. However, both substances are similar chemically and also with regards to the mechanism of action comparable. Dosage: Hydroxychloroquine 200mg 2-0-2 on day 1 followed by 200mg 1-0-1, or Chloroquine 250mg 2-0-2, as available |
Drug: Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine
Hydroxychloroquine 200mg 2-0-2 on day 1 followed by 200mg 1-0-1, or Chloroquine 250mg 2-0-2, as available |
Experimental: Lopinavir/Ritonavir
Dosage: 200mg/50mg 4-0-4 on day 1 and 3-0-3 thereafter
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Drug: Lopinavir/Ritonavir
Lopinavir/Ritonavir 200mg/50mg 2-0-2 |
Standard of Care
patients will be treated with "standard of care", which precludes treatment with lopinavir/ritonavir or (hydroxy-)chloroquine
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Other: Best standard of care
best standard of care |
Experimental: Rivaroxaban
5mg 1-0-1
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Drug: Rivaroxaban
2.5mg 2-0-2 or 10mg 1/2-0-1/2, as applicable |
Active Comparator: Thromboprophylaxis
according to local standard
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Drug: Thromboprophylaxis
as local standard, most likely to be low molecular weight heparin |
Experimental: RAS Blockade
Renin-Angiotensin-System-Blockade (RAS) by candesartan intake starting with 4mg once daily and titrated to normotension patients > 120/80 mmHG are eligible
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Drug: Candesartan
starting dose 4mg once daily, titrated to normotension |
Active Comparator: non-RAS-Blockade
non-RAS blocking antihypertensive agents titrated to normotension Those with normal blood pressure may only be controlled without further treatment
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Drug: non-RAS blocking antihypertensives
This excludes angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (AT-blockers, sartans) and includes alpha-receptor antagonists, calcium antagonists, amongst others |
Experimental: Asunercept 25mg
25mg 1x per week, maximum of four doses only patients with oxygen requirement
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Drug: Asunercept 25mg
asunercept 25mg once per week, up to 4 doses in total |
Experimental: Asunercept 100mg
100mg 1x per week, maximum of four doses only patients with oxygen requirement
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Drug: Asunercept 100mg
asunercept 100mg once per week, up to 4 doses in total |
Experimental: Asunercept 400mg
400mg 1x per week, maximum of four doses only patients with oxygen requirement
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Drug: Asunercept 400mg
asunercept 400mg once per week, up to 4 doses in total |
Best Standard of Care - Control Group for Asunercept
only patients with oxygen requirement
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Other: Best standard of care
best standard of care |
Experimental: Remdesivir
200mg loading dose on day 1, 100mg for a total treatment duration of 5-10 days
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Drug: Remdesivir
200mg on day 1, thereafter 100mg for a total of 5-10 treatment days, according to local standards |
Experimental: Pentaglobin
Patients treated at the intensive care unit only, continuous infusion of 7ml/kg/day over 12h for 5 days
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Drug: Pentaglobin
7ml/kg/day for 12h for 5 days |
best standard of care
Patients treated at the intensive care unit only
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Other: Best standard of care
best standard of care |
- sustained improvement (>48h) of one point on the WHO Scale [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]
The primary endpoint is time to clinical improvement which is defined as time from randomization to an (sustained) improvement of at least one category on two consecutive days compared to the status at randomization measured on a seven-category ordinal scale (proposed by WHO).
The 7-categories of the World Health Organization proposed scale, as follows:
- Not hospitalized, no limitations on activities
- Not hospitalized, limitation on activities;
- Hospitalized, not requiring supplemental oxygen;
- Hospitalized, requiring supplemental oxygen;
- Hospitalized, on non-invasive ventilation or high flow oxygen devices;
- Hospitalized, on invasive mechanical ventilation or ECMO;
- Death.
During hospitalization this score will be determined daily (till day 29). If a patient is released from the hospital before day 29, the score will be determined at day 11 and 29 after randomization (depending when the patient was released or by telephone call).
- Time to improvement on WHO Scale [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]The scale described in the primary endpoint is used
- Mean change in the ranking on an ordinal scale from baseline [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]The scale described in the primary endpoint is used
- time to discharge or a National Early Warning Score (NEWS) ≤2 (maintained for 24h), whichever occurs first [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]the National Early Warning Score includes respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, use of supplemental oxygen, temperature, systolic blood pressure, heart rate and levels of consciousness (AVPU Scale)
- change from baseline in National Early Warning Score (NEWS) [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]The scale described in the primary endpoint is used
- Oxygenation free days [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]
- Incidence of new oxygen use during the trial [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]new oxygen may include insufflation or oxygen mask, high flow oxygen devices, non-invasive ventilation devices or mechanical ventilation
- duration of oxygen use during the trial [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]
- Ventilator free days until day 29 [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]number of days with requirement of mechanical ventilation
- Incidence of new mechanical ventilation use during the trial [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]
- duration of mechanical ventilation use during the trial [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]
- Viral load/viral clearance [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]obtained by polymerase chain reaction in nasal/oropharyngeal swabs, performed at baseline and then three times a week, if possible
- Duration of Hospitalization [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]
- Mortality [ Time Frame: 15-day, 29-day, 60-day, 90-day mortality ]
- Obesity - mortality [ Time Frame: BMI at admission, mortality until day 29 ]BMI (kg/m2), within all subjects the impact of obesity on overall mortality will be investigated
- Obesity - duration of hospitalization [ Time Frame: BMI at admission, duration of hospitalization until day 29 or discharge ]BMI (kg/m2) , within all subjects the impact of obesity on the duration of hospitalization will be investigated
- Obesity - ICU admission [ Time Frame: BMI at admission, ICU admission until day 29 or discharge ]BMI (kg/m2) , within all subjects the impact of obesity on ICU admission will be investigated
- Obesity - new oxygen use [ Time Frame: BMI at admission, new oxygen use until day 29 or discharge ]BMI (kg/m2) new oxygen may include insufflation or oxygen mask, high flow oxygen devices, non-invasive ventilation devices or mechanical ventilation
- Drug-drug interactions with lopinavir/ritonavir [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]lopinavir and ritonavir both interact with numerous other drugs by inhibiting the cytochrome enzymes 3A4. Using commercially available drug-interaction programs, the number and severity grading of drug-drug-interactions will be documented (for instance uptodate interaction tool, medscape). This is an exploratory analysis of drug-drug interactions with the above mentioned substances. severity grading usually encompass "contraindicated", "serious", "monitor closely", "minor" interaction.
- Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) fingerprint [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]for sub-study B only: RAS fingerprint measures metabolites involved in the renin-angiotensin-system. The influence of randomized treatment with candesartan (RAS blockade) will be analyzed
- SpO2/FiO2 ratio [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]for sub-study C only
- paO/FiO2 ratio [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]for sub-study C only, for ICU patients only
- modified Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [ Time Frame: Inclusion to day 29, daily evaluation ]for sub-study C only
- C-reactive protein [ Time Frame: baseline, day 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 ]unit mg/dL
- Interleukin-6 [ Time Frame: baseline, day 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 ]unit pg/mL
- procalcitonin [ Time Frame: baseline, day 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 ]unit ng/mL
- IgM Concentrations [ Time Frame: baseline, day 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 ]unit mg/dL
- IgA Concentrations [ Time Frame: baseline, day 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 ]unit mg/dL
- differential blood counts [ Time Frame: baseline, day 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 ]

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 99 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Inclusion Criteria
Laboratory confirmed (i.e. PCR-based assay) infection with SARS-CoV-2 (ideally but not necessarily
≤72 hours before randomization for "antiviral" treatments) OR radiological signs of COVID-19 in chest X-ray or computed tomography
- Hospitalisation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, except for sub-study B, which may also include outpatients with COVID-19
- Requirement of oxygen support (due to oxygen saturation <94% on ambient air or >3% drop in case of chronic obstructive lung disease)
- Informed Consent obtained, the patient understands and agrees to comply with the planned study procedures, except for sub-study C: obtaining informed consent may be impossible due to the severe condition of the patient and may be waived
- ≥18 years of age
- Sub-study A: not on chronic anticoagulation Sub-study B: Sub-study B: blood pressure ≥130/85mmHg in 2 consecutive measurements OR patients with established and treated hypertension
- Sub-study B: Control group 1: Patients with suspicion of but negative tests for COVID-19. This group may consist of hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients.
- Sub-study B: healthy volunteers
- Sub-study C: Signs of respiratory deterioration and progressing inflammation: need for oxygen supplementation, non-invasive ventilation, high-flow oxygen devices or mechanical ventilation AND CRP levels >5mg/dL (for Pentaglobin only) and ICU admission (for Pentaglobin only)
- For female patients with childbearing potential: willingness to perform effective measures of contraception during the study
Exclusion Criteria
- Moribund, or estimated life expectancy <1 month (e.g. terminal cancer, etc.)
- Patient does not qualify for intensive care, based on local triage criteria
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Severe liver dysfunction (e.g. ALT/AST > 5 times upper limit of normal)
- Stage 4 chronic kidney disease or requiring dialysis for direct anticoagulant treatment
- Allergy or intolerances to experimental substance (ineligibility for treatment arm), for Asunercept known hereditary fructose intolerance
- Anticipated discharge from hospital within 48 hours (for any given reason)
- Contraindications for treatment arm 2 (lopinavir/ritonavir): severe hepatic impairment, CYP3A4/5 metabolized drugs, as deemed relevant by treating physicians
- Contraindications for treatment arm 3 (remdesivir): <40kg bodyweight
- Known active HIV or viral hepatitis
- Substudy A contraindications for rivaroxaban: active bleeding or bleeding diathesis, lesion or condition considered as major risk factor for bleeding, recent brain or spinal injury, recent brain or spinal or ophthalmic surgery, recent intracranial hemorrhage, known or suspected esophageal varices, arteriovenous malformations, vascular aneurysms, major intraspinal or intracerebral vascular abnormalities, ongoing therapeutic anticoagulation, which will be continued, according to clinical practice
- Sub-study B contraindications for nitrendipine: chronic heart failure, allergies, hypersensitivities and intolerances, severe hepatic impairment and/or cholestasis, concomitant therapy with aliskirencontaining medications (for patients with diabetes mellitus or a GFR<60ml/min/1.73m2), known significant bilateral renal artery stenosis or renal artery stenosis of a solitary kidney
- Sub-study C contraindications for IL-6 blockade: Contraindications: allergies and intolerances, active untreated diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, any treatment with an IL-6 or IL-6R blocking drug (e.g. tocilizumab, sarilumab, siltuximab) <30 days before study inclusion.
- Sub-study C: Known active tuberculosis.
- Asunercept: females of childbearing potential
- Sub-study C with Pentaglobin: Contraindications to Pentaglobin

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT04351724
Contact: Bernd Jilma, MD | +4314040029810 | klin-pharmakologie@meduniwien.ac.at | |
Contact: Christian Schörgenhofer, MD, PHD | +4314040029810 | klin-pharmakologie@meduniwien.ac.at |
Austria | |
Medical University of Innsbruck | Not yet recruiting |
Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria, 6020 | |
Contact: Günter Weiss, MD +4351250423251 guenter.weiss@i-med.ac.at | |
Medical University of Graz | Recruiting |
Graz, Austria | |
Contact: Robert Krause, Prof.Dr. +43 316 385 81796 robert.krause@medunigraz.at | |
Principal Investigator: Robert Krause, Prof.Dr. | |
Kepler University Hospital | Recruiting |
Linz, Austria | |
Contact: Bernd Lamprecht, MD +43 (0)5 7680 83 - 6910 Bernd.Lamprecht@kepleruniklinikum.at | |
Principal Investigator: Bernd Lamprecht, MD | |
Medical University of Vienna | Recruiting |
Vienna, Austria, 1090 | |
Contact: Bernd Jilma, MD +4314040029810 klin-pharmakologie@meduniwien.ac.at | |
Contact: Christian Schörgenhofer, MD, PHD +4314040029810 klin-pharmakologie@meduniwien.ac.at | |
Wilhelminenspital | Not yet recruiting |
Vienna, Austria, 1090 | |
Contact: Georg-Christian Funk, MD +431491502201 georg-christian.funk@wienkav.at | |
SMZ Süd Kaiser Franz Josef Spital | Recruiting |
Vienna, Austria, 1100 | |
Contact: Alexander Zoufaly, MD 431601912408 alexander.zoufaly@wienkav.at | |
KH Hietzing | Not yet recruiting |
Vienna, Austria, 1130 | |
Contact: Kurt Redlich, MD +431801103173 kurt.redlich@wienkav.at | |
SMZ Baumgartner Höhe Otto Wagner Spital | Not yet recruiting |
Vienna, Austria, 1140 | |
Contact: Brigitte Schmied, MD +4319106042713 brigitte.schmied@meduniwien.ac.at | |
SMZ Ost Donauspital | Not yet recruiting |
Vienna, Austria, 1220 | |
Contact: Thomas Stefenelli, MD +431288023102 thomas.stefenelli@wienkav.at |
Principal Investigator: | Bernd Jilma, MD | Medical University of Vienna |
Responsible Party: | Bernd Jilma, Univ.Prof.Dr. Bernd Jilma, Medical University of Vienna |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT04351724 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
ACOVACT |
First Posted: | April 17, 2020 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | March 2, 2021 |
Last Verified: | February 2021 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | No |
Plan Description: | Anonymized and pseudonymized data will be published in peer reviewed journals and may be presented at congresses and conferences |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
COVID-19 Respiratory Tract Infections Infections Pneumonia, Viral Pneumonia Virus Diseases Coronavirus Infections Coronaviridae Infections Nidovirales Infections RNA Virus Infections Lung Diseases Respiratory Tract Diseases Ritonavir Lopinavir Hydroxychloroquine |
Chloroquine Remdesivir Candesartan Antihypertensive Agents Rivaroxaban HIV Protease Inhibitors Viral Protease Inhibitors Protease Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Anti-HIV Agents Anti-Retroviral Agents Antiviral Agents Anti-Infective Agents Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors |